What Could Have Been
by darke wulf
Summary: HHH and Austin plot to destroy the Brothers of Destruction. Alt.Univ. based on Raw and Smackdown of a few weeks ago. Warning mild swearing. Story now finished! Chapters 811 added today. Chapters 17 underwent slight editing misspellings, awkward
1. The Plot Thickens

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used in this story (drat). They are owned by the WWF. I am making no money from this little piece of drivel. There is no need for a lawsuit.  
  
  
  
What Could Have Been  
  
The atmosphere in the McMahon-Helmsley locker room was incredibly tense following Raw. For the first time since their partnership began, HHH and Stone Cold Steve Austin were afraid. Afraid and very worried, because their despicable actions had finally drawn the attention, and ire, of the one team in the WWF who could possibly stop them, the Brothers of Destruction, Kane and the Undertaker.  
  
"What the hell are we going to do now?!" Austin demanded, his always-short temper long past the breaking point. "Those two idiots just declared war on us, and I don't like our fucking chances!"  
  
"Just calm down," his partner in crime, HHH, told him, "You always let your emotions get away with you. You need to just CALM DOWN!"  
  
"Don't yell at me, you asshole!" Austin shouted, getting right up into the Game's face, "If it wasn't for you and you're damn infatuation with that title and with punishing Jeff Hardy for beating you we wouldn't be in this mess!"  
  
"Now hold on, Austin," HHH countered, his own temper starting to flare, "I wasn't the one who beat down JR during an interview last week, was I?"  
  
"Will both of you shut-up!" Mr. McMahon shouted, as Stephanie tried to keep the other two men apart. "It doesn't matter whose damn fault it is! What we need to do is figure out how we're going to stop those two!"  
  
"Stop Kane and the Undertaker?!" Austin exclaimed incredulously, "Are you fucking insane?! Nothing short of a nuclear holocaust could stop those two when they're fighting together!"  
  
Suddenly HHH, that cerebral assassin, felt a spark of inspiration, and the angry glare that had been on his face slid into a self-satisfied smirk. "What did you just say?" he asked Austin.  
  
Austin looked at HHH as if he had grown a second head, but repeated, "I said that nothing short of a nuclear holocaust would stop those two."  
  
"No, that's not what you said," Hunter corrected him. "You said that nothing short of a nuclear holocaust could stop those two WHEN THEY'RE FIGHTING TOGETHER."  
  
"Of course!" Vince exclaimed, catching onto the Game's meaning, "Divide and conquer! But how can we separate those two?" He asked, "They've been tighter than I've ever seen them ever since the Royal Rumble."  
  
"Gather 'round," Hunter told them, a smug tone in his voice, "as usual, I have a plan."  
  
*******************************************************************  
  
At Smackdown the following night, Stephanie was keeping a watch by the entrance to the arena while HHH and Austin waited near Kane and the Undertaker's locker room. Knowing that the Undertaker always arrived late to events, Hunter had decided to begin the first phase of his plan.   
  
Soon Stephanie came racing around the corner, "He's right behind me," she told the two men as she caught her breath.   
  
Nodding, HHH spoke in a voice slightly louder than his normal, "Is everything set with Taker?"  
  
"Yeah," Austin replied, also speaking in tones just a little elevated from the norm, "Vince's talked it over with the dead man. Kane won't know what hit him."  
  
"Serves that red retard right," Hunter continued, "I mean, how many times does Taker have to turn on the guy before he catches the hint."  
  
"Well," Steve answered, "If things go as planned tonight, even HE'll have it figured out."  
  
"Oh, they'll go as planned," HHH told him, "We've got everything too well organized for them not to. And now that we've got Taker's help too, there's no way we won't succeed."  
  
"Yeah," Austin agreed, "And by the end of the night, Kane will be crying over his lost belt from a hospital room!"  
  
"You got that right," HHH agreed, coming to the end of their little skit, "Come on, let's go run through things one more time with Vince and Regal."  
  
Then the three conspirators moved off, heading towards the Commissioner's office. When it was apparent that they were no longer in the area, a very disturbed Kane rounded the corner and entered his locker room.  
  



	2. Wounded Warrior

What Could Have Been II  
  
As usual, the Undertaker arrived in the locker room he shared with his brother just as the pyrotechnics that announced the beginning of the show were starting and found Kane already in his ring attire. "Hey," he greeted Kane as he entered the room.  
  
Kane looked up at him, and for a moment the Undertaker thought he saw a hint of mistrust in his brother's eyes. But then it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, and the Undertaker assumed he had imagined it. Kane's face was so hard to read behind his mask, it was easy to see things that weren't there...or not see things that were.  
  
"Hey," Kane returned, trying to gauge his brother's expression, to see if he could see any hint of possible betrayal there. Finding none, he began to wonder about the validity of what he had overheard earlier. HHH and Austin weren't exactly the most reliable of sources. But they had no reason to lie...they hadn't known he was listening...had they? Kane gave an internal sigh; all he was managing to do was give himself a headache. He would just have to watch his own back a little more carefully than he had been doing lately, and hope that HHH and Austin had been wrong.  
  
Further conversation was cut off as William Regal's music came over the speakers of the room's television and the Commissioner made his way to the ring.  
  
******************************************  
  
Kane couldn't believe the audacity of Regal. Calling out him and Taker, chewing them out for interfering in HHH and Austin's business...as if he and Taker were the bad guys. And then making him defend the Hardcore Title against Rhyno, Edge, and Christian. As Regal finished his tirade the aforementioned trio made their way to the ring. Kane saw Edge and Christian go after Taker, but then Rhyno began attacking him, and his attention was reserved for the man-beast. Thus he was unaware of Edge and Christian luring the Undertaker out through the crowd.   
  
Kane was easily handling Rhyno, and was about to conclude another successful title defense when he suddenly was hit from behind. Turning around to get a look at his attackers, Kane was not surprised to see HHH and Austin, both with steel chairs in their hands. Several more blows followed, and Kane quickly realized that he couldn't defend himself against the armed men. He collapsed to the mat, but the relentless men continued their assault, adding insult to injury by throwing the still-unconscious Rhyno on top of Kane, who was only semi-conscious at this point, causing Rhyno to win Kane's Title.  
  
Even after the match was over and Rhyno had been declared the winner, however, then men kept up the beating. Kane felt something in his arm snap as a particularly hard edge-on chair shot from HHH hit it. And still the blows kept coming, and Kane couldn't help but wonder where his brother was. Surely the Undertaker would not have allowed this to go on for so long unless he himself was also in danger...or unless he wanted it to continue.   
  
"What's the matter, Kane," HHH, as if sensing Kane's thoughts, taunted him as Austin hit Kane with another chair shot in the lower back, "Can't stand up for yourself now that big brother isn't rushing to your rescue?" Then he, too, hit Kane with a chair, this time hitting Kane's now throbbing left arm, before proceeding, "God, you're pathetic. No wonder your brother doesn't want anything to do with you anymore."  
  
Kane could not respond, he only curled around his injured arm, trying to protect it from further damage. This only alerted HHH and Austin to the fact that it was vulnerable, however, and they continued to focus their attacks on Kane's limb.  
  
Finally the Undertaker was successful in extricating himself from his battle with Edge and Christian and made his way quickly to the ring. Before he could get there, however, HHH murmured to Kane, "This isn't over yet, freak. Not by a long shot." Then he and Austin abandoned the ring, not wanting to face the Undertaker's fury.  
  
The Undertaker leaned down at his brother's side, concern showing in his face, "Are you alright, Kane?" he asked, laying his hand on Kane's shoulder.  
  
Kane jerked away from his brother's touch, offering up a curt, "I'm fine," before struggling to rise, carefully holding his left arm and determinedly making his way out of the ring and up the entrance ramp. The Undertaker stared at his brother for a second, startled at the anger he had heard in Kane's voice, before following his brother. Taker quickly overtook Kane, who was forced into a slow, lurching walk due to his injuries, and the brothers exited the main arena area side by side. The sense of camaraderie that had surrounded them for the last few months, however, was gone.  



	3. Abandoned?

What Could Have Been III  
  
The Undertaker looked with concern at his brother, who was still holding his arm in obvious pain. "Kane," he said, "why don't you get that arm checked out. It must be hurting like hell."  
  
"I said I was fine," Kane grated through teeth clenched to ward off the pain in both his arm and his heart. Why hadn't the Undertaker come to his aid sooner? Had HHH and Austin been telling the truth all this time? Kane was confused, and his throbbing arm wasn't helping him think any clearer. Drawing on instincts honed over a lifetime of hurt, he turned his thoughts aside from all his pain...physical and emotional...and instead focused on his anger, his hatred. HHH and Austin would pay for what they had done to him, for the Title they had cost him. They would pay dearly.  
  
For once leading the way rather than following the Undertaker, Kane made his way to Commissioner Regal's office. He had a few demands to make of the Commissioner.  
  
***************************  
  
In the McMahon-Helmsley locker room plans were flying fast and furious.  
  
"Are you sure that idiot friend of yours can handle the job?" HHH, seated in a black leather chair, demanded of Edge and Christian, who were to defend their Tag Team Titles against the Brothers of Destruction later in the night.  
  
"That is so totally not a problem," Christian replied, his over-sized sunglasses perched on the top of his head.  
  
"For sure," Edge concurred, "This is totally within Rhyno's capabilities."  
  
"It better be," the Game growled menacingly, "or it's the two of you who will pay the price."  
  
"Dude...don't worry" Edge told HHH, "tonight's going to be totally chairlacious."  
  
"Totally," Christian chorused.  
  
HHH just looked at the two blondes for a moment, then shook his head and let it fall into his hands in disgust.  
  
***************************  
  
As Kane made his way to the ring for the Tag Team Title match amidst his hellfire and brimstone he kept alert, watching not only Edge and Christian in the ring but also for any attacks from behind. Thus, he was not totally surprised when, as he neared the bottom of the entrance ramp, he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. He was already turning his body slightly when Stone Cold Steve Austin flew at him, thus he did not catch the brunt of the man's weight, but he still stumbled slightly from the glancing blow. Then HHH was upon him, and the Game was merciless.   
  
Once again, as they had earlier in the show, the two men viciously attacked Kane. This time, however, Edge and Christian joined them. The four men surrounded the downed Kane, so close together that they almost hit each other every so often as they attacked Kane.  
  
So close together that Kane's view of the Titantron was blocked and thus he didn't see the scene that played on it. Kane was unaware that Rhyno had locked the Undertaker in his dressing room just as he had been leaving to make his own entrance for the match. Kane did not see the Undertaker, witnessing the attack on the television in his dressing room, hurling himself time and again against the locked door...trying in vain to get to his brother's side. All Kane could see, as his pain finally became too great and the darkness of unconsciousness raced up to greet him, were the four figures of his attackers looming over him. As he lost himself in that darkness, one last thought invaded his mind.  
  
The Undertaker had abandoned him once again.  
  



	4. Broken Flame

What Could Have Been IV  
  
Even after Kane's body had gone limp, the four men continued their vicious attack. Only when all of the officials and security members in the back had come out did they finally succeed in stopping the violence. By then, however, the damage had been done. Kane lay unmoving, blood oozing from underneath his mask, his once uninjured right arm caught at a sickeningly unnatural angle.  
  
Finally able to approach, the medics quickly placed Kane on a stretcher and wheeled him to the awaiting ambulance. At the same time, the Undertaker had finally been released from his locker room. He rushed to his brother's side just as Kane was being loaded into the back of the ambulance.  
  
"No...Kane," the Undertaker protested, the misery at seeing his brother in such a condition overwhelming him.  
  
"I'm sorry, sir," one of the braver medics told him, "there isn't room for you in the ambulance. You'll have to follow us to the hospital."  
  
"But," the Undertaker began, only to be interrupted by the medic.  
  
"I really am sorry sir, but there just isn't room, and we don't have time to sit here and argue about it. The patient needs to get to a hospital immediately."  
  
The Undertaker, realizing that his protests weren't helping Kane, just nodded his head.   
  
"We're taking him to Saint Vincent's Hospital," the same medic told Taker as the man got in the back of the ambulance and shut the doors.  
  
For several moments the Undertaker just stared after the ambulance as it took his brother away. Eventually, though, he shook himself out of his reverie and quickly jogged over to his waiting motorcycle. Pulling his hair back into a ponytail and putting on his black and silver helmet, he quickly started the bike and made his own way to Saint Vincent's.  
  
******************************************  
  
When he arrived at the hospital the Undertaker immediately made his way over to the nurses' station. When none of the nurses looked up at his approach he cleared his throat, trying to get their attention. The nurse nearest him, an attractive redhead who couldn't have been more than five feet tall, looked up...way up...at him.  
  
"Oh, hello sir," she said, her voice a pleasing alto, not nearly the screeching wail he had expected from one so small. "What can I do for you?"  
  
"I'm looking for a patient," he told her "a wrestler who was just brought in."  
  
"You must mean the rather large fellow the paramedics brought in about ten minutes ago," she said.  
  
"Yes, that's him," the Undertaker replied. "Can you tell me how he's doing?"  
  
"I'm sorry, sir," she told him, "but the doctors are still examining him. If you'd like to take a seat, I'll let you know as soon as they're done."  
  
"Thank you, Nurse Martin," he answered, reading her name off of her nametag. "I'd appreciate that."  
  
"Are you related to the patient?" she asked him before he could turn around.  
  
"Yes," Taker answered her, "He's my brother."  
  
"I hate to ask," she told him, "but things would move a lot faster if you could fill out some of these forms. We just need to know things like previous medical problems, blood type, allergies, and medical coverage. If you don't mind."  
  
"Sure," he told her as he took the stack of papers, grateful for a task to keep his mind occupied. Taker moved away from the nurses' station and sat in one of the chairs in the lobby, trying to find a semi-comfortable position in a chair that was designed for people nearly two feet shorter than him. Finally giving up, he started filling out the forms he had been given, trying to keep his mind focused on his task. He was not very successful, however, and the sight of his brother, bleeding and broken, being loaded into the back of the ambulance kept coming back to haunt him.   
  
"Sir?" the questioning voice nearly made the Undertaker jump out of his seat.  
  
"Yes?" he prompted the woman who stood in front of him.  
  
"I was told that you are here for Mr...ah...Kane?"  
  
"Yeah, that's right," he told her, "Do you have any news about his condition."  
  
"I am Doctor Fielding, I was one of the doctors that examined him," she told Taker. "He is a very lucky man. From what I have been told about the attack, it could have been much worse. He left should was badly dislocated, however, and his left elbow has a badly torn muscle. His left wrist was also broken. In addition to that, three of his ribs are cracked and two more are bruised. He also suffered a broken nose, and lost two teeth."  
  
All during this account the Undertaker had felt his insides tie themselves into knots.  
  
"Luckily, however," the doctor continued, "we found no sign of organ damage, or internal bleeding. Given his current state of health he should be able to heal in a few weeks."  
  
The Undertaker let out a burst of air, realizing only now that he had been holding his breath as the doctor spoke. "Can I see him? He asked hopefully.  
  
"Only for a few minutes," the doctor replied, "he is currently sedated, but I don't want to risk him waking up. You are free to return tomorrow during visiting hours to stay longer."  
  
"Thank you Doctor," he told her as he followed her to Kane's room.  
  
******************************************  
  
The Undertaker quietly opened the door to his brother's room and walked over to Kane's bed. Taker looked down at Kane's sleeping form, noting that the doctors had removed his mask to bandage his broken nose. Taker looked around for the mask, knowing that Kane would want it when he awoke. Then he realized that it had probably been so bloody that it had just been thrown out. He would have to try and find one of the spare ones Kane kept around and bring it. He could at least do that for his brother.  
  
Taker sighed and dropped down into a nearby chair. Kane looked so vulnerable lying in the hospital bed like that, covered in bruises and bandages, with I.V.s in his arms. Only the steady rising and falling of his chest reassured Taker that his brother was still alive. It then hit the Undertaker, just how close he had come to losing Kane. Because he hadn't been there when Kane had needed him. Because he had failed to protect his little brother, the one person left in the world that meant anything to him.  
  
"God, I'm sorry, Kane," the Undertaker whispered, agony in his voice as he took Kane's hand in his own, "I'm so sorry."  
  
Then Doctor Fielding opened the door, "I'm sorry, sir," she whispered, "but you'll need to leave now."  
  
Taker looked up at her, then back down at his brother's still form and just nodded. Rising wearily to his feet, he made his way over to the door.  
  
As the door closed behind the Undertaker, Kane, still caught in sleep, curled the fingers of his now empty hand and murmured, "Mark..."  



	5. Brothers No More

What Could Have Been V  
  
The Undertaker returned to the hospital as soon as visiting hours began. He entered Kane's room to find his brother still asleep. Taker made his way over to the bedside chair once again and sat down, placing the mask that he had brought on a nearby table. Looking at his brother under the light of day, he was somewhat reassured. Kane didn't look nearly as pale and fragile as he had the night before. Then the Undertaker noticed Kane begin to thrash, as if in a nightmare.  
  
"No..." Kane muttered, almost too low for Taker to hear, "not again...please, not again..."  
  
To hear his brother pleading like that tore into the Undertaker's heart, and he was reaching out to shake Kane awake when he heard something that made his blood run cold.  
  
"Mark...trusted you...betrayed...why" Kane's voice was so filled with sorrow as he asked for answers that the Undertaker froze, his hand inches from Kane's shoulder.  
  
Suddenly Kane jerked awake, and looked around him with an air of desperation. When he saw the Undertaker standing over him, his face took on a hardened look, his eyes mirroring the turmoil and anger he felt inside. "What are you doing here," he demanded, his voice quiet yet firm.  
  
"I was worried about you, Kane," Taker began, only to be interrupted by his little brother.  
  
"Save it, Taker," Kane harshly told him, "I'm not buying it anymore. I know the truth. You can drop the 'concerned brother' act."  
  
"What are you talking about, Kane?" the Undertaker asked, thoroughly confused.  
  
"I'm fucking talking about your recent addition to the Power Trip!" Kane roared, his anger taking over and giving him strength, "Hunter told me all about it when he and Austin were beating the shit out of me while you stood by laughing. And now you come here trying to convince me that you give a fuck about me? How stupid do you think I am?"  
  
"Kane, it's not like that. I tried..."  
  
"I said save it!" Kane yelled at Taker, "I must really be a retard, to keep buying into your scams! Time and again you come, telling me that it'll be different, that this time we'll be a family. And time and again you wind up stabbing me in the back! Well I'm sick of it! I'm better off without you! You've NEVER been there when I needed you...NEVER! And this...this is finally one betrayal too many 'brother'" Kane's voice dripped with sarcasm on the word brother, and the iron fist that had gripped Taker's heart squeezed a little harder. "Get out of here!" Kane told the Undertaker, "I don't want to see you again until that time when I send your ass straight to hell!"  
  
"But..." the Undertaker began, as several nurses burst into the room to investigate the noise.  
  
"Get OUT!" Kane ordered his brother, nearly pulling out his I.V. as he jerked his arm to point at the door behind the Undertaker.  
  
"Sir," one of the nurses said to Taker, "I'm sorry, but you're upsetting the patient. Would you please leave?"  
  
"But..." the Undertaker repeated, not wanting to believe this was happening.  
  
"Please, sir," the nurse told him as he moved to help his coworkers try to relax Kane, "We need to calm him down before he re-injures himself, and I don't think that will be possible with you here."  
  
"Right," the Undertaker finally managed numbly, moving towards the door. Looking back once more, he again pleaded with his brother, "Kane..."  
  
Kane hate-filled face glared stonily back at him. "Leave," he told Taker, not even noticing when one of the nurses injected a sedative into his arm.  
  
The Undertaker's head fell, and he made his way out of the room, then the hospital itself without seeing or hearing anything. Moving like an automaton, Taker got onto his motorcycle and drove off.  
  
Back in Kane's hospital room, the nurses had finally left, satisfied that he was not going to hurt himself further. Feeling the sedative taking effect, Kane found his mask on the table next to his bed and put it on, adjusting the straps to fit over his bandages. He didn't need the Undertaker. He didn't need a family. He was Kane, the big red machine...an unfeeling monster. He didn't need anyone.   
  
As he drifted off to sleep, a single tear escaped from his good eye.  



	6. Evil Returns

What Could Have Been VI  
  
Not exactly sure why, Kane found himself turning on Heat that Sunday. He was shocked when Michael Cole announced that on the show, which normally didn't have much in the way of big-time matches, Commissioner Regal had ruled that as further punishment for getting in HHH and Austin's business, the Undertaker would face the two men in a handicapped match.   
  
Kane was confused. Why would Regal be punishing the Undertaker? Weren't they all on the same side? A small, stubborn voice in the back of his head began to wonder if Kane hadn't fallen for another one of the Game's plots...maybe the Undertaker hadn't betrayed him. Kane viciously shoved that voice down. There was no proof, other than a supposed handicapped match tonight, that the Undertaker hadn't turned on him. Hell, the match tonight could easily be a trap for someone...like the Hardy Boyz...trying to get them to come out to help Taker, only to then have Taker, HHH and Austin attack them.  
  
But Kane kept watching Heat. He told himself that it was just to stay current with what was happening back in the Fed, but when it was finally time for the Undertaker's match Kane found his heart beginning to race. As was the habit of the WWF production team, a brief recap of the events that had led up to the match were shown. Thus it was that Kane saw, once again, his own body being broken by HHH, Austin, Edge and Christian. This time around, however, Kane also saw the fate that had befallen his brother. For the first time, Kane watched as the Undertaker tried again and again to break down his locker room door, to come to the aid of Kane. And Kane felt his heart soar as he realized that the Undertaker had NOT abandoned him...had not betrayed him. Then he drew a sharp intake of breath, as the events of earlier in the week replayed in his mind. The harsh, hate-filled words he had said to his brother. Words which Kane now realized Taker had never deserved. A feeling of helplessness overcame Kane, as he watched HHH and Austin make their way to the ring.   
  
Acting like their usual cocky, irritating selves, the two men began their promo. In the middle of it, just as HHH started to brag about how badly they had injured Kane, the lights in the arena went off and "Dead Man Walking..." was heard echoing throughout the space as the crowd went wild.  
  
Kane felt a feeling of unease take hold of him when he saw the Undertaker making his entrance without his motorcycle. // Don't be stupid, // he told himself. // He probably just didn't want to risk anything happening to it during the match. HHH did trash his last one. // But Kane couldn't shake the feeling that something about his brother wasn't right. Kane growled in frustration. Sitting there, in the hospital, he just couldn't tell what it was about his brother that was bothering him...but he knew there was something.   
  
Then the Undertaker got to the ring, and removed his sunglasses. One of the cameramen got a close-up of his face and Kane gasped. His brother's eyes were completely dead. "No, Mark," Kane whispered to himself, "what have I done?" And Kane did blame himself. He should have listened to his brother; he should never have just blown up at him like that. It was true that Kane had been abandoned many times in his life...but so had the Undertaker. And now Kane had abandoned him yet again.  
  
Kane watched the match with trepidation. Nothing HHH or Austin did seemed to effect the Undertaker, he just kept getting up, kept fighting. Kane had seen him like this before, when he pushed his emotions, his rational thoughts aside and just concentrated on fighting...on causing pain. Hell, Kane had found himself doing the same thing many times. It was an ability...a curse...that they both shared. Finally the two-man Power Trip ran out of patience. As HHH continued fighting Taker on the inside of the ring, Austin rolled to the outside and grabbed two chairs, throwing them into the ring before he re-entered it. Austin picked up one of the chairs and hit the Undertaker across the back with a shot that sent a sickening thud across the arena via the microphones set up at ringside.  
  
As the referee called for the bell, awarding the d-q win to the Undertaker, Kane's worst fears regarding his brother's state of mind were confirmed. Instead of going down under the attack, or even flinching, the Undertaker instead just slowly turned around to face Austin, whose face somehow went several shades whiter than normal. HHH seized this opportunity to grab the other chair that Austin had brought into the ring, and together the two men set about to destroy the Undertaker. That had been their plan, at least. What happened instead was truly frightening to all who watched, as the Undertaker shrugged off several chair shots from each man, smiling sadistically as he saw fear appear on their faces. Finally the two men looked at each other and, taking a page from Edge and Christian, moved to sandwich the Undertaker in a con-chairto. The Undertaker, however, had other ideas, and ducked under the chairs that came flying towards him. HHH and Austin's chairs hit each other with incredible force, stinging the hands and arms of both men and forcing them to drop the chairs. Then, taking advantage of his opponents' surprise and unarmed state, the Undertaker seized both Austin and the Game by the throats and slammed them mercilessly to the canvas.  
  
The Undertaker stood triumphantly in the ring, looking down at the fallen forms of his opponents, and lowered his head. When he raised it, what Kane saw made his blood run cold. Standing there in the center of the ring stood the Undertaker; his eyes rolled back into his head so only their whites showed and his tongue extended from his mouth.  
  
There in the center of the ring stood the Lord of Darkness.  



	7. Establishing Dominance

What Could Have Been VII  
  
Immediately following what he had seen on Heat, Kane tried to call the Undertaker's cell phone. Only getting the message service, he grudgingly left an urgent message for his brother, explaining that he had realized his mistake and asking the Undertaker to call him back as soon as possible. By the next day, however, the Undertaker still had not gotten back to Kane, and the Big Red Machine was worried. He called Taker six more times, leaving messages similar to the first. As evening approached, he still had not heard from the Undertaker.  
  
Kane settled in to watch Raw, hoping to hear at least some news regarding the Undertaker. The very second that the pyrotechnics finished exploding "No Chance in Hell" came over the sound system and Vince McMahon made his way to the ring.   
  
Getting a microphone from one of the ringside production crew members, Vince waited for the usual chanting of 'asshole' to subside before he began to address the crowd. "I can understand your jealousy," the owner of the WWF told the crowd. "Unlike all of you, I can say that my life...my very person is something worth being jealous of. Especially of late. HHH, Austin and I have the perfect alliance. The Intercontinental Title is in our hands, the WWF Title is in our hands, the Rock has been removed as a threat," here Vince had to pause as the chorus of boos that assaulted him couldn't be overcome even with the aid of the sound system. Eventually the crowd quieted, however, and he continued gloating, "and the entire WWF roster cringe in terror-stricken obedience to our rule."   
  
Then Vince's expression darkened, his eyes bulging out of their sockets and the veins on his neck straining as his anger came to the front. "Except, apparently, for two irritating thorns on our collective side. Kane and the Undertaker." Once again, Vince was forced to pause, this time due to the overwhelming cheers that mentioning the Brothers of Destruction had elicited. "Yes, Kane and the Undertaker decided to stick their noses where they didn't belong. They decided that they wanted a piece of HHH and Stone Cold Steve Austin. And so they came out here and ran their mouths. They DARED to threaten my dominance, my control over the WWF. And where did it get them? NOWHERE!" Vince told the crowd, his voice little more than a feral growl.   
  
"That freak of nature Kane was beaten to within an inch of his life and even now is still in the hospital. And in spite of his surprising success on Heat yesterday, the Undertaker will soon be JOINING HIM."  
  
Then the lights went out.  
  
As the crowd hummed in anticipation, a single bell toll was heard, followed by "Dead Man walking." The cheers from the crowd erupted at the same time that the Undertaker's entrance pyrotechnics did. With Limp Bizkit's 'Rollin' playing, the Undertaker appeared in the entryway and slowly made his way to the ring. He was dressed in his usual black leather 'Dead Man Inc' pants along with a matching, tight fitting t-shirt. Overtop of it all he had on a long black trench coat. A black bandana and sunglasses completed his ensemble.   
  
The Undertaker marched purposefully towards the ring and Vince McMahon, who had backed up until he was against the far ropes and taken a huge swallow, trying to calm his nerves. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to come out here before HHH and Austin had arrived at the arena. Then he shook his head slightly, he was Vincent K. McMahon, dammit! He wasn't afraid of anybody. Even the Undertaker wouldn't dare to touch him!  
  
The Undertaker glared at Vince for a long moment, and the WWF owner began to fidget nervously. Then, finally, Taker brought his microphone up to his mouth and spoke...not in the almost amused Texan drawl that everyone had recently become accustomed to but in a far deeper...more menacing...tone.  
  
"You're either very brave, or very stupid," the Undertaker told Mr. McMahon, "I know that neither of your boys are here yet, but you still came out. Bragging about how HHH and Austin put Kane in the hospital. As if it were that hard to do. Hell I've put Kane in the hospital more times than I can count. And then you THREATEN ME?!" All this time Taker had been in motion, moving back and forth in front of Vince as he talked. Finally Taker stopped directly in front of the owner of the WWF and slowly advanced upon him until Vince had pushed himself back as far into the ropes as he could.   
  
"No one threatens me, little man," the Undertaker said to Vince in a cold, threatening voice. "No one." Then Taker backed up slightly and looked at McMahon. "You know, Vince," he spoke, "I've changed my mind. You're not brave and you're not stupid. No, what you are...is suicidal!" so saying, Taker's hand flew to Vince's throat with the speed of a striking snake. Taker lifted the man by the throat until they were eye to eye, holding him there for almost a full minute before ordering the man in a dark tone, "When HHH and Austin get here...tell them their next." Then the Undertaker lifted McMahon high over his head and slammed him with bone rattling force onto the canvas. Not even sparing another glance for Vince, the Undertaker left the ring and made his way up the ramp. At the top he paused and turned around...once more striking the pose of the Lord of Darkness before disappearing behind the curtain.  
  
******************************************  
  
And back in his hospital room Kane, stinging slightly from Taker's disparaging words, despaired as he realized he might never get his brother back.  



	8. 

What Could Have Been VIII  
  
HHH, Stephanie and Stone Cold were predictably upset when they arrived at the arena later that night and learned of the fate that had befallen Vince. Not thinking very clearly, they stormed out to the ring, interrupting the match between Crash Holly and Grand Master Sexay that had been in progress. Chasing both competitors from the ring, HHH grabbed a microphone.   
  
Taking hold of the top rope with one hand as he held the microphone in the other, HHH addressed the Undertaker, " You've got a lot of nerve, Dead Man," he said, his tone full of scorn as he ignored the boos of the audience, "a lot of nerve, coming out here and attacking Vince, then threatening us when we're not in the arena yet. Yeah, a lot of nerve. Well, here we are, Taker. Ready and waiting. You gonna come out here and face us, or do you only attack lone men?"  
  
Silence was HHH's only answer. Then Austin grabbed the mic from his partner and began circling the ring, his jerky movements enough to make some in the audience nauseous from motion sickness. "Come on you no good son-of-a-bitch." Austin yelled into the microphone. "You were out here talking about how HHH and Stone Cold Steve Austin were next. Well here we are, right here in the middle of the ring. Come on...let's see what you've got bastard." Austin paused momentarily in his tirade and looked to the entrance ramp. When no Undertaker was forthcoming Austin fell back on his trump card, "What's the matter, boy...you yellow?"  
  
Stephanie, not to be left out, then reached for the mic as JR took off his glasses, hoping to get them to safety before her screeching cracked them again. His precautions were unnecessary, as thankfully before Steph could say anything the lights went out and the Undertaker's entrance sequence began.  
  
Then the Undertaker himself became visible as he slowly stalked towards the ring. He had only gotten about halfway when Edge, Christian and Rhyno were silhouetted in the entryway. The three men quickly made their way down the ramp and began to attack Taker. They were quickly joined by HHH and Austin. Just as the Undertaker was finally beginning to go down under the attack of the five men, from the entryway raced the Acolytes and Mideon. Now fighting under more even odds, the Undertaker and his minions quickly sent their opponents running.  
  
All except one. Rhyno hadn't been as quick as his compatriots, and had been taken down by Faarooq and Bradshaw who were even now holding him captive. Then Undertaker stared into the frightened man's face for a long moment before jerking his chin towards the ring. As the Acolytes dragged Rhyno towards the ring with the Undertaker and Mideon following the crowd gasped in surprise as something was slowly lowered from the roof.  
  
As the object passed the supporting trusses the descent of one end began to increase in speed. Suddenly it was clear to all in the arena exactly what the object was.   
  
Then the oversized symbol of the Undertaker, the Lord of Darkness, touched down on the ring canvas.  
  
Rhyno, who was now struggling with all his might, was roughly thrown onto the form. His wrists and ankles were quickly secured and, with the Undertaker and his minions reveling in their sacrificial rites, the symbol slowly returned to the darkened recesses of the roof. Rhyno's pitiful cries echoed throughout the arena until, suddenly, they were mysteriously silenced. Then the lights in the arena went out and when they had returned, the Undertaker and his followers were gone.  
  
******************************************  
  
Kane, meanwhile, had become desperate. The Undertaker's dark side was regaining control much faster than Kane had expected. He had to get through to the portion that was still MARK before it was too late. Already the Lord of Darkness had begun to reform the Ministry and reinitiate their unholy rites. This was definitely not good.   
  
How Kane was going to bring his brother back to the light when he was stuck in a hospital and the Undertaker wasn't returning his calls was a mystery to him, however.  
  
******************************************  
  
Later that night, Nurse Nathalie Martin came to check on Kane. In the time he had been in the hospital they had become friends. She found him intriguing...a huge monster of a man yet one that possessed a surprisingly innocent heart. And, since he tended to be a creature of the dark...awake most of the night and sleeping during the day...they would often spend several hours talking. It was a very good way to pass the often-tedious third shift that she worked, and it gave Kane someone other than himself to talk to.  
  
This evening as she entered Kane's room she almost laughed at the sight that greeted her eyes. There was the seven-foot tall Kane, pacing the room pulling his I.V. stand along behind him. Then he looked at her and she saw the worry in his eyes and her joviality quickly fled.  
  
"What's wrong, Kane?" she asked, concerned for the gentle giant.  
  
Kane just looked at her for a while, and she decided that whatever it was, he wasn't going to discuss it with her. Just as she reached this conclusion, however, Kane began to speak. In often halting tones he told her the entire story, from the conversation between HHH and Austin that he had overheard to the current state of the Undertaker, finally finishing with an almost defeated, "I've got to talk to him somehow, to explain what happened and try to get him back. But I don't know what to do. He's not answering my calls, returning my messages, nothing."  
  
Nathalie thought for a moment, then asked Kane, "Where is Raw tonight?"  
  
"Albany," was his confused answer.  
  
"Only about a four hour drive then," she mumbled to herself. Then she looked up and said to Kane, "I think I have an idea. It isn't quite ethical, but it might work."  
  
With that she began outlining the basics of her plan to Kane.  



	9. 

What Could Have Been IX  
  
The Undertaker was lounging in his locker room after Raw had gone off the air. Everything was going according to plan. His Ministry was once again under his control, the other wrestlers were once again learning to fear his name, and the Power Trip was coming to realize what a truly bad idea it was to piss him off. Yes, life was definitely looking up. And without his annoying twit of a brother around to constantly try to 'bring him out of the darkness' it looked like it would stay that way.  
  
// He's not a twit, // a small voice in the back of the Undertaker's head protested, but he quickly and ruthlessly shoved it back down. Kane had turned his back on Taker. He was no longer worthy of Taker's concern...no one was. For too long the Undertaker had worried about being a good brother, about looking out for Kane. And in that time, his dominance of the WWF had suffered. Now it was time to take back what was his. He would be respected. He would be feared. But most of all...he would be Champion.  
  
And woe to anyone who dared to get in his way.   
  
Even Kane.  
  
A hesitant knock on his door broke the Undertaker out of his thoughts. "Come," he ordered, wondering who would dare to disturb him.  
  
"I'm...I'm sorry, sir," a crewman told Taker, sweat beading on the poor man's forehead as he slowly entered the locker room, cordless phone in his hand. "Saint Vincent's Hospital is on the phone for you, sir." Suddenly that small piece of the Undertaker that still cared for his brother gained strength as the man continued. "They say it's about Kane."  
  
Wordlessly, the Lord of Darkness took the phone from the man's shaking hand. His task completed, the crewman quickly left the room. The Undertaker looked after the man, a satisfied smirk on his lips at the man's obvious fear. Then he put the phone to his ear, "Hello," he said into the receiver.  
  
"Mr. Calloway?" a female voice on the other end asked.  
  
"Yes, this is he," the Undertaker replied.  
  
"My name is Nathalie Martin, I'm a nurse at Saint Vincent's Hospital. You might remember me, we met briefly on the night Kane was brought in."  
  
"What is this about, Nurse," Taker brusquely asked. If his rude manner bothered Nathalie, however, he couldn't tell by your response.  
  
"I'm calling about your brother," she told him, "I'm afraid he's taken a turn for the worse."  
  
"I was under the impression that he was expected to do fine," he quietly protested, the worry that was beginning to gnaw at him not apparent in his voice.  
  
"That was the initial diagnosis, yes," Nurse Martin told him, "Unfortunately it now appears that some internal damage was missed in the examination. Kane never complained of being in any discomfort or pain, so no one thought to look again for unknown injuries. We just looked after the ones we had found." She paused briefly to let this information sink in, then continued, "A little over three hours ago, however, Kane went into seizures. When we finally got him stabilized the doctors reexamined him and discovered massive amounts of blood in the chest cavity. Apparently one of his broken ribs nicked an artery during the attack. At first the damage wasn't significant enough for it to be noticed. Since then, however, he has been moving around, increasing the size and severity of the injury, and causing more and more blood to flow into his chest cavity until his collapse today."  
  
"And what exactly does this all have to do with me, miss," the Undertaker asked, struggling now to keep his voice level.  
  
Nathalie sighed in exasperation and said to him, "Sir, your brother is currently in a coma. His condition is deteriorating rapidly, and there is nothing we can do to stop it. If you want to say goodbye before it's too late, I suggest that you get here very soon."  
  
A stunned silence was her only reply. Then the Undertaker said softly, "I'm on my way," and turned off the phone. Sitting in his dark dressing room, the Undertaker felt the anger and hatred that had fueled him for that last several days slowly draining from him.   
  
For the first time he could remember he actually felt his age as his slowly stood up and began packing up his things for the trip to the hospital.  



	10. 

What Could Have Been X  
  
Nurse Martin arranged to meet the Undertaker when he arrived at the hospital. She led him into a room in the ICU and then left, closing the door behind her. Not wanting to risk anyone disturbing the two brothers, she stood guard outside, nodding to the people who walked by and trying not to act as if she was up to anything.  
  
Inside the room, the Undertaker was staring at the still form of Kane. It was as if he had been teleported back in time to the night Kane had first been brought here. His brother looked so fragile, hooked up to even more machines than he had been that terrible night. Only this time the Undertaker knew that things weren't going to turn out as well.  
  
Taker took a deep breath and made his way over to Kane. He continued staring at his brother for several minutes until a choked sob escaped from his lips. "I'm sorry, Kane," he told his brother's still form, "I never meant for any of this to happen. I love you. I would never abandon you...never. I'm sorry..."  
  
As the Undertaker became silent, Kane slowly opened his eyes. His heart wrenched at the sight of the Undertaker almost in tears over, what he believed, to be Kane's dying body.  
  
The Undertaker gasped in surprise as he felt a hand grab his arm. Looking up through tear filled eyes, he was shock to see Kane awake and very much alive.  
  
"No, Mark," Kane told him, "I'm the one who's sorry."  
  
"What the hell?!" the Undertaker interrupted, rising from his seat so quickly that the chair overturned. "I thought you were dying, you bastard!"  
  
"It was the only way I could talk to you!" Kane shouted back, his own anger and frustration coming to the fore. "You refused to answer any of my calls, you never came to visit..."  
  
"You told me, very clearly, that you didn't want to see me again until, and I quote, 'I send your ass straight to hell," the Undertaker reminded him, causing Kane to sigh and lower his head in shame. "I'm out of here." Taker told his brother as he made his way to the door. "I don't want to hear anything that you have to say."   
  
Upon opening the door, however, he was confronted by the petite form of Nurse Martin. She took one look at the Undertaker's angry features, then looked into the room and saw the look of despairing frustration on Kane's face and knew that things had not yet been settled between the two. Crossing her arms over her chest, she stood stubbornly in the doorway, looking up at the Undertaker.  
  
"Out of my way, woman," Taker growled, wanting nothing more than to pick her up and move her himself.  
  
"Not until you listen to what Kane has to say," she told him. As he started to move towards he she added, "I wouldn't do that. One scream and I can have every security officer on the floor and most of the nurses here. Now get your ass back in that room."  
  
Taker looked at her resolute form and realized that she was very willing to carry out her threat. Sighing in defeat, he made his way back into Kane's room. Nathalie closed the door again and once more positioned herself as sentinel.  
  
The Undertaker remained near the door, obviously not wanting to be there. "So what was so damn important that you had to play dead to get me here?" he asked Kane.  
  
"I needed to apologize," Kane replied. "Just hear me out," he added as he saw Taker preparing to interrupt. "Please, just listen to what I have to say."  
  
Taker nodded his head slightly, "Alright, Kane, but only because that little spitfire outside won't let me out of this room until I do."  
  
At that Kane smiled briefly, then he sobered as he began talking, his fists clench in his lap. "I'm not going to make any excuses," he told Taker, "I was stupid enough to let HHH convince me that you had joined the Power Trip plain and simple. And rather than ask you about it, listen to your side of the story, I just blew up at you."   
  
Kane looked down at his hands in shame as he continued. "I should have known better. In spite of our history, whenever I REALLY needed you, you were always there for me. I don't know how I let HHH convince me otherwise. I guess I really am the retard that everyone calls me. But Mark," Kane spoke, the intensity in his voice increasing, "Just because I am an idiot, you can't let your dark side take over again. I understand you not wanting anything more to do with me, I don't blame you, but you can't go back to letting the hatred and the anger rule your life. Not because of me. It's not worth it. I'm not worth it."  
  
The Undertaker was jolted by the repetition of the very thoughts he had been having himself earlier. Now, however, he was able to distance himself from the anger he had been feeling and realized that they just weren't true.   
  
"Not worth it," he spoke for the first time since Kane began his confession, "You're not worth it? Kane, you're the only person in this damn world who still IS worth it to me. I won't lie to you. When you kicked me out of your hospital room it hurt, it hurt a lot. But you are right. Ignoring that hurt and just concentrating on causing others pain wasn't the right way to deal with it. And neither was refusing to answer your calls. I did the same thing you did, refused to listen to what you had to say."  
  
"But Mark," Kane protested, believing that the Undertaker had had more than enough reason to not want to talk to him.  
  
"But nothing," the Undertaker interrupted. "We were both wrong. And I think it's long past time that we both sit down and talk this damn thing out."  
  
Kane couldn't help the relieved smile that crossed his face. He hadn't lost his brother after all. And even if the Undertaker, after hearing how stupidly Kane had acted, decided he wanted to call it quits on their partnership, at least he would still be the American Badass...not the Lord of Darkness.  
  
******************************************  
  
Several hours later, when Nurse Martin checked to make sure that they hadn't killed each other, she found them still talking. Rather than the angry tension that had filled the room earlier, however, there was now only a quiet understanding. A smile on her lips, she quietly closed the door and left them to their privacy.  



	11. 

What Could Have Been XI  
  
Three weeks later at Judgment Day, the Undertaker was scheduled to meet Stone Cold Steve Austin in a no disqualification match for the WWF Championship. As the main event began both men made their way out to the ring.   
  
In the time since Kane had tricked the Undertaker to the hospital he had once more gone back to his 'American Badass' self. Well used to watching his back against overwhelming odds, he had managed to cause the Power Trip about as much trouble as they had him. Taker would be glad to when Kane came back onto the roster, though. The Hardy Boyz had helped him out now and again, but he wanted to show Austin and HHH just what type of payback the Brothers of Destruction were capable of when they were working together.  
  
When Stone Cold entered the ring the two men didn't wait to go after each other. The Undertaker gained the early advantage when he overpowered Austin and threw him into one of the ring's corners. Once he had Austin there he assaulted the Rattlesnake with fierce shots to the body and head. Quickly following up, the Undertaker threw Austin into the opposite corner and repeated the process. By now Stone Cold was reeling.   
  
The Undertaker hurled Austin into the ropes and bent down, getting ready to flip him high over his shoulder. Austin managed to grab onto the ropes, however, and stopped his movement. Then, catching the Undertaker before he had recovered, the Rattlesnake delivered a hard kick to Taker's face. Taker just shrugged it off, and stood tall confronting Austin.  
  
Stone Cold refused to be intimidated, and the two men traded a series of hard right hands. Unfortunately for Austin, in such a battle he was no match for the Undertaker. Taker hit Austin with an incredible right, sending him straight down to the canvas. Before Taker could take advantage of the situation, the Rattlesnake rolled to the outside of the ring to try and collect himself. The Undertaker quickly followed him.   
  
Austin led the Undertaker around the ring. Grabbing a chair, Austin nailed the Undertaker over the head when he rounded the corner of the ring, which was perfectly legal under the no disqualification rules. Now Austin had Taker reeling, and connected three more time with the chair before rolling him back into the ring. Austin didn't follow quickly enough, stopping instead to trade insults with some fans sitting at ringside. The Undertaker was already getting to his feet as the Rattlesnake came through the ropes.   
  
Austin advanced on Taker with the chair, but the Undertaker managed to get a foot up and send the chair right back into Austin's face. As Stone Cold fell to the canvas the Undertaker quickly went for the cover, but Austin kicked out at the count of two.  
  
Taker ruthlessly grabbed Austin by the neck and yanked him back to his feet. The Undertaker prepared to chokeslam Austin, but instead received a kick below the belt as Stone Cold countered. Taker went down on one knee as he fought against the pain in his groin. Austin picked up the chair again and ruthlessly hit the Undertaker in the forehead with it. Taker went down and Austin covered him, but just as the referee, Earl Hebner, was about to count three the Undertaker got a shoulder up.  
  
Austin was in shock, and turned around to argue with Hebner. This gave the Undertaker a chance to recover from the chair shot. As Austin turned back to continue fighting, Taker kicked him in the face and sent him back down to the canvass. Now it was Taker's turn to have some fun with the chair, and he hit Austin several times with it. Not satisfied, the Undertaker left the ring and grabbed the upper portion of the ring steps, throwing them into the squared circle. Then the Undertaker got back into the ring and pulled Stone Cold up again. Austin had been playing possum, however, and he attacked the Undertaker with a flurry of punches to the midsection, stunning the big man.   
  
Using the ropes to add to his momentum, the Rattlesnake hurled himself at the Undertaker, knocking him down. Austin continued to throw punches at Taker, then shifted position and used his knee to choke him until the referee pulled him off Taker.  
  
Once more, Stone Cold went to the outside of the ring, this time grabbing the ring bell and swiftly getting back inside. He waited patiently as the Undertaker used the ropes to get unsteadily to his feet. Then, when the Undertaker turned around, Austin hit him in the head with the corner of the bell. Taker fell into the ropes with his hand on his head, using the ropes to stay more or less upright. When he removed his hand from his head and looked up, the crowd gasped as they saw blood oozing from a cut about an inch above his right eye. The Undertaker looked at the blood that covered his hand, then brought it to his mouth and actually licked it off. Then he met Austin's shocked eyes and smiled evilly as he disentangled himself from the ropes.  
  
Needless to say Stone Cold was afraid. His head moved rapidly back and forth searching for a weapon as the Undertaker advanced on him. Austin saw his discarded chair a little ways behind him and turned to pick it up. As he did, the Undertaker easily lifted the steps that he had thrown into the ring earlier in the match. When Austin turned around with the chair raised, Taker threw the steps at him. Stone Cold crumpled down onto the canvas.   
  
Once more, the Undertaker pulled Austin up and prepared to give him the last ride. Suddenly from behind Taker HHH emerged from the crowd. Grabbing a chair of his own as he ran into the ring, he hit Taker in the lower back with it. Taker dropped Austin and fell to his knees. HHH continued the attack as Austin recovered. When he could move again, Austin covered the Undertaker but once again the Dead Man somehow managed to kick out before Hebner could count to three.   
  
Austin was irate, and picked up his chair. He and Hunter then began to viciously yet systematically take the Undertaker apart.  
  
Then the lights went out.  
  
Suddenly...BANG...the ring posts and pyro machine at the top of the ramp all erupted in flames. A red light illuminated the arena as a huge, imposing form appeared in the entryway. It was Kane!  
  
Still wearing a cast on his left wrist, Kane ran down to the ring. Austin and HHH were so intent on Kane's entrance that they momentarily forgot about the Undertaker. While Taker was in no condition to take advantage of that to go on the attack, he did get back to his feet and began to catch his breath.  
  
As Kane slid into the ring Austin moved to intercept him, but wasn't fast enough and received a huge boot to the face for his troubles. As HHH rushed to come to Austin's aid he neglected to watch where he was going, and tripped over the discarded ring bell. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Kane grabbed the off-balance HHH by the throat and chokeslammed him with such fury that Hunter actually left an indentation in the ring canvas. The Game lay motionless in the crater, as Kane stood over him in satisfied triumph.   
  
Meanwhile, both Austin and the Undertaker were back up and were once again trading blows. Then Taker let loose with a thunderous clothesline that sent Austin flying backwards into the ropes. The Rattlesnake rebounded into the Undertaker's waiting grasp. The Dead Man got Austin into position for the Last Ride, then threw him up onto his shoulders. Lifting Austin high above his shoulders, the Undertaker paused for a moment, then delivered a devastating Last Ride directly onto the metal chair that Austin himself had brought into the ring. Knowing the outcome was a foregone conclusion; Taker casually covered Austin as the referee and the crowd counted one, two, three.  
  
Hebner called for the bell, ending the match, and declared the Undertaker the winner...and NEW WWF Champion!  
  
As Hebner handed the title belt to the Undertaker Kane made his way to his brother's side. They looked at each other for a long moment, then Kane reached out and grasped Taker's arm, raising it in victory. As their arms came down the ring posts once again erupted in fire, and the Undertaker's theme blasted from the sound system.   
  
Together the Brothers of Destruction left the ring and made their way up the ramp. At the top they paused and, backs still to the crowd, raised their right fists in silent tribute to the fans before the disappeared behind the curtain.  
  
******************************************  
  
And from her ringside seat, Nurse Nathalie Martin cheered for all she was worth.  



End file.
